


Cat's Out of the Bag

by captain_americano



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Cats, Cute, Fluff, Get Together, Kittens, Love, M/M, Miscommunication, Pining, Stony - Freeform, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 00:23:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10293221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_americano/pseuds/captain_americano
Summary: Steve has been blatantly avoiding Tony, and Tony thinks he knows why. Hindsight 20/20, he had no freaking clue.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been days since I've eaten, weeks since I've slept, and months (years?) since I've posted. Sorry I lied about finishing that other stony fic, hope no one got too invested in it haha. It will probably be done one day. In the meantime have this and I'm sorry if it's rubbish I'm exhausted and I just need cute Steve and Tony together okay, and also for there to be a kitty somewhere present.

Tony was glaring at DUM-E. The idiot hadn't done anything wrong, and was happily whirling about, trying to tidy the workshop, but mostly only succeeded in pushing crap around.

No, Tony was glaring at DUM-E because the weird little bot was just about the only thing he could concentrate on, and with his train of thought switching tracks even more frequently than usual, he needed a moment to sit and ponder, and be a little bitch.

He was bitchy, and begrudging yet willing to admit this to himself, because of a Super-Dumb-Ass-Soldier by the name of Steve. Okay, Steve's ass wasn't dumb, it was pretty damn fine, and logically Tony knew that the radio silence was his own fault.

About three weeks back, after months of flirting and not-dates, Steve checked out completely. Tony couldn't say he was surprised, it was bound to happen sooner or later. He couldn't quite imagine a world where he could actually be happy, but it was bitterly disappointing nevertheless. He thought that maybe Steve felt something other than friendship as well, that maybe he'd stick around, but Tony was ashamed to admit that for a self-proclaimed genius, he could still be pretty thick.

It was just disappointing to only see Steve at meal times, and have the soldier completely avoid eye-contact and verbal contact alike. They'd spent so much time together, and out of no where, _bam._ Steve had gone back to the ocean and froze up.

So, after Tony had got Steve's hint loud and clear, he moped around the Tower, avoided SHIELD briefings more than usual, and generally loathed himself. He knew he must've done something that pushed their friendship too far, it was ridiculous to assume that anything else could be the problem.

"You should talk to him," Tony practically leapt out of his skin at the smooth voice from behind him. He turned his glare from DUM-E to Natasha, with one-hundred times more force.

"Talk to who?" He asked petulantly, and even though up until now he'd only felt his bitchiness, he could actually hear it this time.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him, but still maintained her lighter-than-air amused tone, "Whatever you think is the problem - I promise you've got it wrong."

"Oh yeah, how the hell would you know anything about my problems?" Tony snorted disdainfully to mask the insecurity he was currently feeling.

"How would I know?" Natasha mused with a smirk, "I am God, for starters. And as a loving God, I'm telling you to get your crap together, go up to Steve's apartment and talk to him like a damn adult. You won't be the only one to regret it if you don't," she added warningly before gliding out of the room.

So that was how Tony Stark, all by himself, came up with the genius idea to go and talk to Steve like a damn adult. Full credit for the idea goes to him, unless it blows up in his face. If it does, he's hacking SHIELD to reassign Widow to Russia. Or maybe he could go to Siberia.

Tony meandered around the shop for a bit, stalling, tidying in a way not dissimilar to DUM-E who chirped happily from the corner. He rolled his eyes at himself, and after a few muttered words of self encouragement, headed to the elevator and took the short ride up to Steve's apartment.

He stepped out of the elevator into the short corridor leading to Steve's door. It wasn't the most aesthetic way to design an apartment, but he'd wanted to make sure the team got their privacy and had the option of not letting someone in. Like Steve was probably going to do to him.

Tony scratches his neck awkwardly, looking at the door like it was hiding a bomb. Maybe it was, maybe Steve would explode when Tony opened his mouth. He'd be in so much trouble with Fury if he broke Captain America.

"Screw it," he muttered to himself, and knocked loudly on the door before he could wuss-out. Confronting the man of his dreams about why he didn't love him back, how hard could it be?

The door opened just a crack, and Steve poked his head out, jamming his foot and leg in the lower part of the gap. "H-hey, Tony! How's it going?"

Tony assessed the wild look in Steve's eye and flushed cheeks, and had no idea what to do with the data. "Hey, buddy, long time, no see. Thought I'd swing by and we could have a catch-up?" Tony had no clue what he might've sounded like - perhaps an idiot - but he definitely didn't sound like himself.

"That would be so great," Steve replied awkwardly, "but I'm like, _super_ busy right now. I just can't spare a minute. Maybe in another few weeks?" He asked, leaning back slightly and trying to close the door, but Tony held his palm against the wood. Even though he knew Steve could've physically shut the door in his face - probably with even enough force to send Tony flying through the elevator doors - Steve scrunched up his nose and kept the door open.

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but he heard a high pitched whine coming from behind Steve, who promptly and theatrically yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head. "What was that?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm just exhausted from, y'know, this thing that's taking up all my time. No free time to spare, super busy," Steve nodded, not quite meeting Tony's eye.

"Uh-huh, you mentioned," Tony rolled his eyes. Not the yawn, the -" Tony paused as the whine restarted, louder this time, _"that."_

Steve finally met his eye and Tony could see the guilt swimming around.

"You have a cat in your apartment," Tony said bluntly, "despite the 'no pets' rule that was enforced from day one."

"I promise that there is absolutely, unequivocally no cat in this apartment. Cross my heart," Steve replies solemnly.

"It's a kitten, isn't it?"

"Kitten? Oh, yeah, big time," Steve nods sheepishly.

Tony presses his lips together and sighs in resignation. "Is that why you were avoiding me?"

"Yep," Steve admits cheerfully, "I'm covered in scratches and bite marks and fur," he held out his arms for display, and he wasn't wrong. "Didn't want you to find out and get mad."

"I'm not mad, you idiot," Tony grumbled, "I could never be mad at you."

Tony melted more than just a little at Steve's huge grin. "Want to meet her?"

Tony held back an eye-roll and nodded, and so Steve led him into the apartment. As soon as Tony has closed the door behind him, a tiny ball of white fluff bolted towards him, and started sniffing at his shoes.

"I named her Marie, like from The Aristocats," Steve said bashfully, picking up the tiny kit and holding her in his hands.

"At least you're starting to use pop-culture references," Tony shrugged, like seeing Captain America holding a kitten close to his chest wasn't the cutest fucking thing he'd ever seen.

"I was jogging one morning a few weeks back, and I took a breather in the park when I heard her mewling," Steve said, holding her up to his face, while the kitten took swipes at his blond fringe. "She was tiny, she couldn't have been more than two weeks old. All alone, and it was freezing. I couldn't believe she'd survived whatever she went through. I couldn't just leave her there."

Tony's gut clenched at the last part, which sounded horrifically close to Steve's own story. He wanted to say that he was sorry, and that Steve could keep the kitten, but he had to goddamn train the thing, but that wasn't what came out at all.

"I love you."

Steve looked up, holding the kitten close to his chest. Tony could barely believe he heard the words leave his own mouth, he couldn't imagine how freaked out Steve must be. Tony could feel his heart pounding, he could practically hear it, because there was no other damn noise in the room, because no one was talking and this was so goddamn awkward _and why the hell is Steve staring at me like that?_

Tony is about to bolt and is already calculating the quickest route to Siberia taking refuelling his jet into account, when Steve's face slowly turns into a smile.

"Thank god," Steve signed, placing a Marie gently on the couch and pulling Tony into a sweet, chaste kiss.

It takes Tony's brilliant mind a minute to reboot. He told Steven Rogers he loved him and the world didn't end. He even got a kiss out of it! "Wait, wait, does this mean--?"

"Yes," Steve laughed, holding Tony's face gently, "I love you too, Tony."

**Author's Note:**

> Please sent me prompts and/or leave feedback <3


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